


Looking Up to the Stars

by Omicron_The_IceQueen



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2016-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-11 12:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/798762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omicron_The_IceQueen/pseuds/Omicron_The_IceQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Retrovirus: A virus that replicates the first host cell's DNA, and if introduced to a second host the new DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome.</p><p>Human DNA is a very interesting thing, and so is Martian DNA. Both species evolved in the same solar system after all, so there can be some interesting results when someone starts playing with both. Once you factor in the factor of living people and their lives though, things get messy. And it’s never a Good Idea to turn an accident into an experiment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a revamp of an old story, I'm not sure if anyone will remember it but its just too fun not to write! As a warning I tend to blend worlds a little, so as you see here Batman is a little more like the one from the 2004 show, and his side kicks. And yes, for later on you can put all that on a postit note, I tested it here at my desk. Please enjoy as much as I do writing!

“Mis Adrian are you ready?” A male voice spoke from the speakers as the selected video started to play. The screen didn’t fuzz or static, it was not only a good but also the original digital copy of the interview.

 

“Yes,” A young, somewhat plump woman nodded, tying her brown and red streaked hair back before folding her hands in her lap. Being mindful of the IV line in her arm while doing so.

 

The watcher took careful note of the woman, steeping his fingers and resting his chin on his thumbs. The woman had a semi dark color, and from her features he would hazard a guess of a mixed heritage in her, of Native and African American, maybe some Mexican as well. Barely visible soft lines, possibly ridges where just forming on her skin. Her eyes were an light amber shade, and at the moment wide with repressed fear as she glanced between the camera and the masked officer that took a seat beside her. Hidden fear, it was still coursing through her body along with the retro virus even if she was not letting it cloud her mind.

 

A second woman came into the frame, she wore a mask as well but from her white buttoned up white jacket. The doctor- Himes by the tag on her jacket, put a gloved hand on Adrian’s shoulder for added reassurance. “Detectives, we don’t know how long Adrian’s going to be coherent, she was directly exposed to the virus. Jack Millor and Richard Terrace have already lapsed into comas and are showing internal signs of mutation.”

 

“It not turned contiguous has it-”

 

“No,” Adrian spoke up first, “So far the virus has a very limited lifespan outside of a host, nor does any of the tests so far show it transfer by air or contact. But to be extra sure,” She wiggles in her seat, making the plastic covering crinkle, “I’m staying over here and you have a mask on.”

 

The woman paused, wincing and lifting a hand to her stomach, and the watcher of the video could almost see her muscles ripple in a way that was not normal. The look of barely contained pain and fear had him reflexively sitting up right out of his slouch. His eyes not missing anything, and noting how ever so slightly the woman’s frame seemed to get a little slimmer as the excess fat was devoured by her body to fuel the changes happening internally.

 

“Adrian?” The detective moved to put down his tablet, “What’s wrong-”

 

“I’m fine,” The subject of the video gasped, waving the two away, Adrian glanced at the clock in the back of the room, watching and timing as the doctor timed on her watch. The subtle shacking abruptly eased. “Okay, that was early. We better hurry with this.”

 

“We can stop-” The man offered, worried but paused as the two woman shook their heads.

 

“There’s not much time if the pattern holds, Adrian, if you really want to do this, do it now.” The black haired doctor said with a soft sigh.

 

“Right.” Giving a week smile to the man, Adrian took a deep breath before starting her recount, her eyes shifting from the detective to the camera. “My Name is Adrian, Adrian Kingston. Earlier yesterday, the um...”

 

“November sixth,” The detective offered, turning his tablet around to show the woman the current date.

 

She nodded, “Right, November sixth, I was off shift from the hospital. I’m a nurse here at Mercy City Hospital actually.” Adrian fiddled with her bracelet, not used to having one yet, eyeing her arms and the faint lines there.

 

The man paused the video and highlighted the bracelet, getting the numbers as well as barcode off what he could see of it for later use. The image on the screen came to life again as it started to play once more.

 

“I was going for a walk and to get some tofu for my dinner,” Adrian continued, taking a deep breath and looking at the camera, “It was about mid-day, and really hot- there’s a summer heat wave in Mercy right now, seems a little early... because of that I took a right on Corrdata Street to go get a Frozen-Rock ice cream instead of going left towards home.

 

“I remember seeing the white van, and the young man that ran out into the street, I still can’t fathom why he did. The van swerved to keep from running the young man over, and... it crashed rather badly.” She winced at the memory, “It wasn’t very pretty since Corrdata Street is one of the faster speedways. Since I am a nurse, I rushed over with a few other people to see if I could help.”

 

“Was there anything strange about the van that you noticed...?” The detective started to asked but paused, then stood up and gloved hands clasped Adrian’s other shoulder. The Doctor on the other side as the two supported the woman onscreen as she went through another contraction like movement, not really a seizure. “Okay, we’re stopping. Let’s get you back to bed-”

 

“No, no,” Adrian shook her head, gasping out the word, face scrunching in pain as she gripped the supporting arms, she shivered and shook before gasping.

 

“Adrian you’re burning up.” The other woman said, feeling the heat through her gloves.

 

“No.” Adrian almost sagged back down, “I’m one of the first exposed. The others are already becoming incoherent, we don’t know how long I’ll be able to recount everything and people have to know.”

 

“One more attack and I’m pulling the plug on this interview,” Doctor Himes said after staring at the stubborn look on her patient.

 

“Okay...” Adrian looked at the detective, then to the camera and said almost in a rush. “I was one of the first respondents to the crash to see if I could help along with a retired police officer, an off duty fireman- Rodger and Jackson, and two other civilians.

 

“To answer your question detective, I did notice a Luthor Cooperation logo on the van, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I order two men to help me get the driver out, not to jar him and to keep the man’s spine and neck as still as possible.” Adrian paused to take two slow deep breaths, “I crawled into the van to see what had to be done to help the other man inside.”

 

“That was the DOA?” The man asked gently, letting the woman hang onto one of his gloved hands, her's alternating between gripping and going limp before gripping against pain she was trying not to show.

 

“Yes, the poor soul, I searching for any sign of a pulse but couldn’t.” Adrian closed her eyes as she remembered the scene, “I heard a hissing sound from the back of the van about then... and that’s when I saw the canisters with the bio hazard signs.”

 

“Is that when you ordered the quarantine?” the detective prompted as the woman slowed.

 

Adrian nodded, “I never knew I could move so fast. I was screaming at people to stay back and all those that had already gotten too close, the five of us, to stay grouped together. I think it was lucky that fate had decided to have the smarter people around the accident.

 

“Those men proved not to be the panicky type and did as told. The rest of the off duty fireman enforced the quarantine on the ‘outside.’ There wasn’t very many people on the street to start with, and they stopped traffic too.” She winced, putting one hand on her stomach. “Okay, I’m going to throw up now.” She lunged up and out of the frame of the video.

 

There was a scramble on the video. “Alright that’s it, you have your account now she’s going back to her room. Adrian needs treatment now.” Doctor Himes said off screen. The camera was still before moving sideways as it was picked up.

 

“Anything I can do to help?” The man asked and then the video feed cut out, leaving a green screen on the display before the computer restarted from the beginning. A frozen image with a text box asking ‘ **Replay?** ’

 

The man closed his eyes in the dark of his cavern base. Opening them again he looked at one of the other screens that displayed a news report. The bold headlines proclaiming;

 

‘ **LUTHORCORP CHEMICAL SPILL IN MERCY OREGON!**

 **Many Wounded, Five Dead, One Kidnapped From Hospital** ’

 

A clawed finger tapped against the metal frame of his computer before he hit ‘replay,’ watching the raw testimony again as the black clad man pulled up the rest of the files on the main screen of the display without looking. He _knew_ his own computer system after all.

 

He had come across this data almost by accident, hard copies of medical files, blood work and many mentions of a _Project M-GW G2_. After taking a second, closer look did he find one of those things that where a metaphorical red flags. A simple sticky note with a hand written scrawl of ‘Retro Virus active, needs refinement, Mercy human trial- 4 dead, 3 altered.  2 missing! Find them in Gotham!’

 

“What are you doing now Luthor,” The man sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, mindful of the claws on his gloves in the way of one long used to dealing with little pricks now and then.

 

He jumped minutely as there was a crash behind and below him, followed by two semi-youthful voices yipping back half curses. The unmasked Batman leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself as he listened to the argument of who fell off the balance-lines first and who took who off with them. Bruce stood up to stretch and flex, to keep his blood flowing and keep it from clotting, letting the new information he’d seen settle lightly in the back of his mind for now.

 

He walked over to the rails around this platform and leaned against the single metal bar, the bladed gauntlets barely making a sound. In honestly it was harder for him to make noise when out in public. Bruce smiled again as he watched his two sidekicks, more partners, the slightly shorter boy attempting to pull the taller teen off her feet. Only Barbra tucked and rolled away, Dick chasing after she bounced back up.

 

“And off they go.” Bruce said softly, part of his attention splitting to focused on the older man that walked over to the side of the ‘Bat-Computer’ to set the large tray he was carrying.

 

“Do not forget sir, Commissioner Gordon is coming to pick up Miss Barbra tomorrow afternoon and to see how her gymnastic training is coming.” Alfred Pennyworth, the butler of the Wayne Estate, but also far more than that. Former guardian, still correctly a caretaker of not just his employer but the two new youths in their lives. He triple checked the tray as if he hadn’t been keeping an eye on the assorted, neatly presented foods.

 

“I haven’t,” Bruce assured as he stood up, glancing back down at the completely ungraceful, as well as harmless slap-fight going on below with the teens. He chuckled, unable to help it as he noted the rich rivalry between Dick Grayson and Barba Gordon (and thus Robin and Batgirl), was still of the healthy kinds of rivalry as they weren’t even trying to hurt each other in any spat. The man whistle a certain tune, the sound carried better than a yell but the tune was one he and Alfred only used when the ‘midnight dinner’ was ready and the youths weren’t easy to find.

 

There was a pause and then scramble as the two bottomless pits known as teenagers hurried up.

 

“What is it?” Bruce asked, sitting back into his chair (the ‘Bat-Thrown’ as dubbed by Dick), pulling off a glove and reaching for one of the sandwiches. He almost pouted as his hand was smacked away and the older man pointed at the larger bowl of soup.

 

“Those are for the children, you are still on Doctor Heather’s orders for no solid foods for three weeks.” Alfred said firmly, “After your last encounter with the Justice League off world, I’m surprised you can still drink.”

 

“Off world? You were _off world_ last week?” The red head demanded as she flipped up over the rail and finished with a backflip before spinning around and trotting over to the men. Barbra was the first to be allowed to pounce the sandwiches after thanking Alfred.

 

“When are _we_ ever going to go off world?” Dick asked as he flipped over the rail as well, not to be out done.

 

“You have been,” Bruce held out his right hand to Barbra while sipping from the soup bowl itself, and after a second the silent request was realized and she put her violet tinted gloves in his hand.

 

The two plates, one piled with small sandwiches and the other with cookies vanished off the tray. Leaving behind the second bowl of soup and a smaller bowl of pistachio ice cream. After the Great Ice Cream Affair of May, neither of the younger partners touched any ice cream that was green shaded except for mint. Mint was fair game.

 

“That’s not what we mean.” Dick said around half a mouth full of roast beef, pickles and melted cheese while he sat down behind the Bat-Thrown. He reached for both a cookie and a tuna melt wedge after Barbra sat down too. The plates between them as the teens worked on a culinary vanishing act.

 

“Not that being the first known teens in earth’s orbit on the JL-Station wasn’t cool.” The girl put in quickly before taking a bite of her favorite, grilled cheese, ham and maniase. Barbra rolled her eyes up as she enjoyed the taste. “Mmm, vanks!”

 

“You’re quiet welcome young miss,” Alfred said, then added, “No talking with your moths full you two.”

 

“Sorry!”

 

“Vorry!”

 

“Dude,” Barbra reached over and smacked the younger teen on the head, a slightly lighter version of what her father did to his officers when they did something stupid. The Gordon-Smack.

 

Bruce quirked up his lips in a mostly hidden smile, he wasn’t nearly as reserved when home with the ‘bat-family’ so to say. He took another sip of the soup, looking over the set of gloves thoughtfully. Studying the ware lines and patches, as well as the stress on the seams, “Hmm, Alfred, could you get Babs a new set, the BG5 pair. In a few days I want you to put them through the training run through the cave.” He added looking over at the red head as he passed the gloves to the butler. “How was the grip?”

 

“A lot better than the last set, and a _ton_ better than my first pair.” Barbra ducked her head and grinned sheepishly. She rolled her shoulders and took off the chest piece of matte back armor she had used that night on patrol and sighed, “Is it possible to get this lighter?”

 

“Not yet,” Bruce shock his head as he reached for the controlled, “Both of you upload your suits’ data before you head up to bed.” The man pointed without looking to ports to his left on the desk that linked up to the computer.

 

“How long are we going to be testers?” Dick asked after swallowing, so not to get smacked again, and he wiggled free of his own shirt and armor. He sighed and took a deeper than normal breath with his chest rather his stomach. “That feels better.”

 

“For as long as it takes,” There was a pause from the man as he considered, “Maybe about a week or two.”

 

Barbra finished her eight sandwich halves first before Dick could his six with all the skill of a teenager in the middle of a growth spurt. Grabbing a handful of cookies she rose to stand at Bruce’s right, tilting her head at the screen. “So what are you working on?” She asked, the tilt of her head letting the girl see a reflection in the polished metal framework of the computer set up. The moment she was sure that Alfred was in the costume vault Barbra passed a chocolate chip cookie to Bruce.

 

The man took the smuggled cookie and down it in two bites. To be rid of the evidence, he brushed his suit just in case he missed any crumbs.

 

All three pretended nothing happened.

 

“Something I found tonight,” Bruce rumbled as he tried to get the taste of the cookie a bit more before taking a larger drink of the soup.

 

“When you went ninja?” Dick asked as he yawned, a cookie half way up.

 

“Mercy... I remember hearing about that accident.” Barbra moved around to the other side of the chair. She paused and looked at the man, “Wait... _you’re_ looking at this, was it accident?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Bruce hmmed and then sat up, taking a good look at the two youths, “Finish up your cookies, and change into your pajama’s, we’ll up load the data tomorrow before your dad comes to pick you up.”

 

“Splendid idea sir,” Alfred said coming back, arching an eyebrow up at the snickering of the two teens. Barbra smiled and took the new gloves before heading to the changing room first, emerging a minute later in an over sized green t-shirt (of the many she nipped from both her father and Bruce) and a pair of loose pajama pants. “Your room is ready for you young miss.” The older man added as he saw a second set of yawns, herding Dick off to the changing room as well.

 

“See you later in the morning!” Barbra called as she took a few more cookies and darted up the stairs.

 

“Are you going to sleep soon sir?” Alfred ask after sending Dick up to the mention as well.

 

“Yes...” Bruce looked back at the screens, and down at the paper notes.

 

_One Kidnapped From Hospital_

 

_3 altered. 2 missing! Find them in Gotham!_


	2. Kindness Offered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -whispers- I'm not dead...

"Normal spoken dialogue."

 _-White Martian telepathic dialogue_ -

( _Green and Human telepathic dialogue, and picked up thoughts_ )

::Communications/radio chatter::

* * *

 

( _Okay, I have milk, cream, cheeseis and jerky... damn I forgot the perogies._ )

( _I wonder if we'll see the Batman tonight... I hope not. At least not if it means there will be some psyco wanting to de-rail the train again. I need to ride them in a while._ )

( _Water, water, water... where did I put my water bottle?_ )

( _Is the stalk market up or down today- why can't it make up its nonexistent mind for a day?!_ )

( _Should I ask my boyfriend if he thinks my pants make me look fat... would he lie to make me feel better? I could really use a coffee._ )

( _-or can Green Lantern pick his nose with his power?_ ) "Hey, sweetie, do you think Green Lantern can pick his nose with his ring?"

" _What?_ " A blond woman turned to stare at the taller man beside her in bafflement at the random question her boyfriend came up with.

The inadvertent listener that was sitting not far from the couple smiled, trying very hard nod to giggle aloud, or telepathically for that matter. The oddness of that last thought and question eased some of the constant throb of the background chatter, of too-loud minds that were unguarded and tired at the end of the day.

A city this size, the woman couldn't stay here much longer then the week she had already been there. Thus the reason why the woman was here at the train station, ready to get out of Gotham and maybe back into the country side, at least after going back to her room. No use haring off with nothing even if she suspected that _he_ was in or coming to the city. Might as well be intelligent about it.

She was nervous about going back north, going home, so she had headed east then down south, swinging wide in a manner of speaking, to head towards the Mexico border. Where her great aunt was living in a small village town this side of the border. No one knew about her Great Auntie Marian, they technically weren't even biologically related. Adrian had always sent post cards and letters, and really only ever kept a few letters a year from her few relatives. Her favorite ones that could fit in a slider binder, and the elder woman had only ever signed as Auntie.

So... it seemed safe.

Right?

Adrian hopped so, if nothing else she could explain things- her great aunt was always understanding, and maybe stay in a shifted state as a home nurse... or caretaker. That is if she out ran _his_ range to safely slip away and get somewhere he wouldn't expect her to go.

The woman sighed, she'd almost out run Richard, or had thought she did when slipping into Gotham. This was a new tactic she was trying, using the cover of so many hundreds of semi-guarded and very loud minds to hide behind. To go unseen on the telepathic scale as well as the visual one with her continually developing shape sifting abilities.

Looking down at her hands, Adrian privately marveled at this gift as the wash of wide-band thoughts rolled over top her. She tried to mentally stay in the flow, not hiding completely away or going against it. Using it as telepathic camouflage as she now stared at the tinted but still pale skin of her hands. The woman was in the form of an older, not quiet elderly Asian woman with graying hair cropped short and dark eyes. Practically dressed, meaning able to take off running with no hindrances in her paints, long sleeves and sneakers. Maybe Adrian looked like she was cheating on a jogging run, riding back home.

It was hard to take a new form, even with practicing in the privacy of her hotel room. Yet once shifting to a new body, it was easier to hold that form, even when Adrian was sleeping. Another set of camouflage, though this was far more helpful. She couldn't shift into a male shape... and honestly Adrian didn't want to.

The chime sounded above, followed by an announcer that informed the milling people of the train coming, and where it was going. Adrian rose, keeping a firm hold on her purse and take out bag of food, the other hand guarded her lidded coffee. She wasn't the only person, other's had food and drinks to nibble and sip at discreetly on the train. With her large bag, Adrian knew that some guessed she was feeding several people with her order.

Hey, telepathy remember?

Only, what no one knew or guessed was that her bag of takeout that could maybe feed six, five for sure, was all for her. Thank goodness though that Adrian had found the vegetarian place on the way back. She was getting tired of just eating raw veggies.

But oooh, those veggie burgers smelled so good, and the yam fries even more! They were a much preferred distraction from the scents on the train, and it was also needed. She was a little sensitive after the accident, but there were only two stops between here and hers. So Adrian stayed in a neat compact spot, avoiding as much contact with the general public as she could, sometimes physical contact seemed to boost the mind reading.

Adrian looked out the window, it wasn't dark yet, and she stayed well out of the dark in this city. Not in fear of the dark wings that seemed to have stalked Gotham as under their protection. No it was just preventive measure, as well as if Richard had made it here too, he would be more active at night. Why, she had no idea, but her hotel was nice, and her room wasn't only a many stories off the ground, but also had TV and internet for no extra charge!

With shark week starting, staying in a warm and safe hotel room to plan out where she was going tomorrow sounded better than instead of panicking and running off.

The train chimed, Adrian rose with many others. Alert for anyone overly interested in her person even in this elderly form. Just in case.

Caution was such a large part of her life now, and it made Adrian sigh as she shifted her bags, one over her shoulder and the other takeout bag in her hands. The eggrolls smelled so good when she caught the small waft came up from the bag when it moved just right. She scanned around with her eyes, and very lightly with telepathy, Adrian drifted closer to the groups and clusters of people that seemed honest, keeping out of the attention of anyone who was darker in the mind.

Not evil, but wanting to avoid anything if possible.

At least until she couldn't resist something, digging into her bag Adrian pulled out two boxes. One with veggy-fried rice, the other smaller box balanced on top with some eggrolls inside. She was the only person to stop in the flow, as much ignored as she was noticed for offering the food to the homeless man and his son, smiling as he looked up shocked, while the boy paused. It was the boy asking if they could eat that night that attracted her attention.

"Thank you..." the father breathed, hugging the food close after setting his guitar down.

"Be careful," Adrian said softly, knowing they only saw her as an aging woman, "Keep your son close if you're not leaving." She whispered that, glancing to the side pointedly in the direction she could sense some dark thoughts before moving herself. The woman could sense the man gathering his few coins and dollars, the instrument on his back and son in his arms, who was quiet while eating one of the eggrolls.

The boy gave her a small wave when she glanced back, and Adrian smiled as she turned back to the sidewalk outside the joint transport station, sky line passengers walking down the upper set of stairs and subway riders coming up from the lower entrance, all having to pass the different area for buses, cabs further down to the right, with a parking garage to the left.

The woman scanned around with her senses, quick to take the bus though the hotel was within walking distance. There was a stop right before the hotel, from the start it had just seemed safer to pay the dollar and not risk tempting anyone wanting to try to take her purse on the walk.

The 'older' woman gripped her purse tight still, like many others were. As purses and bags had to be kept small and close to the body in this city.

Adrian missed her home, missed even the time spent in Washington state, the gloom of this city was almost too much. It was almost tempting to go home, go back north but... She shook her head slowly, she had a plan, and as long as she kept her head it would work.

She hoped.

Getting off the bus with some others, Adrian walked to the hotel and caught a stray thought. Flushing she shook her head and refused to not focused on her surroundings. Adrian glanced forward and turned down an empty ally, she glanced back then taking a deep breath she put her back to the brick wall. She took another breath and took another step back, part of her awareness going behind her. Finding no minds and people she finished phasing and walked carefully to the other side of the building. He was exited out a door to the street on the other side, glad of that this was a floor of stores so no one bothered her until a few blocks away.

"Impressive trick." A soft male voice said to Adrian's right, making her flinch and jump away, the woman nearly dropping her bag of take out at what she saw. The taller male form was even taller, even in the dark with her current petite form, the dark coloration of his outfit broke up the man's outline and the crowl hid his face effectively.

Adrian's dark eyes widen, clutching her bag and then...just froze.

"We won't hurt you," The man said, shifting slightly to hold his hands palms up, fingers resting together in an attempt to not draw attention to the claws on his gloved hands. There was slight movement behind and above him, two younger and inquisitive minds, though the forms were barely seen until one shifted closer to the other, whispered words unheard. "I just want to help."

"I sorry... I know nothing," Adrain said in a way that was like broke English, her voice older, shuffling away.

The dark eyes watched the older woman from behind the crowl's optics as she started to walk away, "It's okay, miss Kingston."

Adrian froze almost mid step and stumbled, feeling herself shiver as fear crawled over her. Looking back and hugged herself, her grip on bag and purse turning white-knuckled.

"I know there's someone chasing you, not just Luther Corp." Batman said, stepping out of his shadow and was offering not only a calm demurer but also keeping his thoughts calm and projecting a wordless reassurance. "Whatever it is, has been able to track you, slowly but is still even now isn't it?"

The 'old woman' looked down and when she looked back up, her eyes were more amber then the near black/brown before, "I'm leaving the city soon…he shouldn't come here." It was barely whispered.

"But you'll still be hunted, if not by whatever you're really running from, than from others, I can help you." Batman stepped forward again, and offered a hand sensing the two youths dropping silently down. He didn't need to powers to know that his two apprentices were more than interested and would still keep watch. "So you don't have to hide."

"Why?" Adrian asked, so far not very many would offer help to her after... he started to show himself in the area.

"It's the right thing to do." Batman said firmly, and after a moment smiled as he wrapped his hand around the once from the shivering one.


End file.
